Implications:We found weak associations between psychiatric variables and rehospitalization and mortality. Functional change was not impacted by psychiatric variables, possibly because stroke patients accepted into rehabilitation programs may not have severe behavioral issues or because the VA has successfully intervened for these problems.

Impacts:Since rehospitalizations can impact function, quality of life, and cost of care in stroke patients, we need to continue working on successful interventions to address psychiatric comorbidity in this population. Further research is needed on impact of psychiatric comorbidity and specific psychiatric diagnoses on functional change in older veterans with different diagnoses and with high disability risk.